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Paul Warren at the Derby Museum of Making

We’re delighted to announce that our long standing friend and illustrator, Paul Warren, is currently having his work displayed at the Derby Museum of Making.

His exhibition is entitled ‘The Mill‘ and was produced in response to an Air Arts call out in 2018. He says:

‘I’m pleased to see them being exhibited at The Derby Museum of Making; it’s almost a homecoming. I took a relatively light hearted look at the cotton and silk mill development along the River Derwent Valley. I imagined moments and conversations that may have taken place as production gathered momentum and employment began to bring in revenue and the mills became ‘the work place.’ A slightly theatrical glimpse of life back then.

The drawings are Giclee prints taken from iPad artwork. The iPad became my choice of medium in 2013 and I spend a lot of time  producing imagery that attempts to reflect a moment in the day to day activity  of people. I call my artwork ‘Momentism’

I attended the Joseph Wright Secondary Art School in the late 1950’s, though, regretfully, I didn’t pursue an arts career and since retirement from full time employment I’ve been playing catch up. In recent years, I’ve been associated with the writer and publisher, Dr. Nick Owen MBE, creating illustrations for his series of books, published under the NOP (Nick Owen Publishing) banner, has been quite an adventure and learning curve for me.

My answer to the question why I draw so much, is simply, ‘because I enjoy it’ but there is more to it than that and examples may be seen on Facebook, Instagram and Blogger..

If you’d like to meet Paul and have an introduction to his exhibition, please drop us a line here and we’ll arrange a time for a tour!

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Thank you for your response. ✨

An older man wearing glasses and a beige jacket stands next to a wall displaying four framed illustrations. The illustrations depict whimsical characters in various poses, each with accompanying text.
An individual stands beside four framed illustrations on a gray wall, depicting colorful characters in various poses. The person is wearing glasses and a beige blazer, interacting with the artwork.
A man in a beige jacket stands beside framed illustrations on a wall, gesturing towards the artwork.
A smiling older man stands beside framed illustrations on a gallery wall, showcasing colorful character drawings by Paul Warren.
Invitation to 'The Mill' exhibition featuring eight Giclee prints by Paul Warren, inspired by the silk and cotton mills of the Derwent Valley in the 1700s.
The Mill: 8 Giclee prints by Paul Warren - Image 1
The Mill: 8 Giclee prints by Paul Warren - Image 2
The Mill: 8 Giclee prints by Paul Warren - Image 3
The Mill: 8 Giclee prints by Paul Warren - Image 4
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The Mill: 8 Giclee prints by Paul Warren - Image 8
  • The Mill: 8 Giclee prints by Paul Warren
  • The Mill: 8 Giclee prints by Paul Warren
  • The Mill: 8 Giclee prints by Paul Warren
  • The Mill: 8 Giclee prints by Paul Warren
  • The Mill: 8 Giclee prints by Paul Warren
  • The Mill: 8 Giclee prints by Paul Warren
  • The Mill: 8 Giclee prints by Paul Warren
  • The Mill: 8 Giclee prints by Paul Warren
The Mill: 8 Giclee prints by Paul Warren - Image 1The Mill: 8 Giclee prints by Paul Warren - Image 2The Mill: 8 Giclee prints by Paul Warren - Image 3The Mill: 8 Giclee prints by Paul Warren - Image 4The Mill: 8 Giclee prints by Paul Warren - Image 5The Mill: 8 Giclee prints by Paul Warren - Image 6The Mill: 8 Giclee prints by Paul Warren - Image 7The Mill: 8 Giclee prints by Paul Warren - Image 8

The Mill: 8 Giclee prints by Paul Warren

£70.00

A lively series of 8 figurative prints exploring mill life, industry and community through humour, character and conversation. Full of narrative detail and social energy, The Mill series combines historical reference with a bold contemporary style.

The eight Gclee prints are all of similar dimensions: Landscape view, H 400mm x W 500mm and the Portrait view, H 500mm x W 400mm.

The prints are for sale as seen and priced at £70 each – framed, glazed, mounted print (black frame, 20mm width x15mm depth) all with ‘neutral’ mount.

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Subject: Re: Literary Observances (Further Thoughts)

From: Julian Pilkington-Sterne
To: Maja Jović

My dear Miss Jović,

I have reflected carefully upon your last message, and while I accept, readily and without reservation, your superior command of literary classification, I find myself compelled to make a modest defence. You suggest Persuasion as the ideal expression of feeling restrained, postponed, and dignified by patience. I admire this greatly. Truly.

Yet I cannot help but wonder whether such restraint, however elegant, risks becoming a kind of emotional abdication. The Brontës, Emily in particular, understood something rather different: that passion, once felt, does not always submit to civility; that it may rage, misunderstand, and wound before it ever redeems. It is untidy. It is excessive. But it is honest.

I hope you will forgive me if I confess that I find such honesty… compelling.

Yours,
Julian Pilkington-Sterne

Re: Literary Observances (Further Thoughts)

From: Maja Jović
To: Julian Pilkington-Sterne

Mr Pilkington-Sterne,

I appreciate your candour, though I must gently resist the implication that emotional restraint is a failure of courage. Austen does not deny feeling; she disciplines it. She recognises that unchecked passion may be sincere, yes—but sincerity alone does not render it wise, nor kind. Emily Brontë’s characters burn brightly, but they also leave devastation in their wake. One might admire the flame while still declining to place one’s hand in it. You speak of honesty as though it were synonymous with intensity. I would argue that true honesty often lies in knowing when not to speak.

Respectfully,
M. Jović

Re: Literary Observances (A Clarification)

From: Julian Pilkington-Sterne
To: Maja Jović

Miss Jović,

I fear we are no longer speaking solely of books. You are right: the Brontës scorch the earth. But Austen’s world, however refined, depends upon silence so carefully maintained that one wonders how many truths perish quietly in its keeping. Is it always virtuous to wait? Or does waiting sometimes become a means of self-protection masquerading as principle? I ask this not as a provocateur, but as someone who has often erred on the side of saying too much, too soon—yet who wonders whether that failing is preferable to never speaking at all.

Forgive my frankness.
I assure you it is not lightly offered.

J.P-S

Re: Literary Observances (And Their Limits)

From: Maja Jović
To: Julian Pilkington-Sterne

Mr Pilkington-Sterne,

You are correct. We are no longer speaking solely of books. You admire the Brontës because their characters announce themselves without apology. I admire Austen because her characters understand the cost of doing so. It is easy to mistake urgency for truth, and volume for depth. What you describe as silence, I would call discernment. Not every feeling demands an audience. Not every impulse improves by being aired. And yet (you see how easily one concedes ground when conversation strays from novels) there are moments when restraint becomes its own kind of fear. I suspect we differ not in what we feel, but in how safe we believe it is to reveal it.

Yours,
Maja

Re: Literary Observances (One Last Thought)

From: Julian Pilkington-Sterne
To: Maja Jović

Maja,

If that is so, if our difference lies not in feeling, but in courage, then I find myself wondering whether the question is not Austen or Brontë, but rather:

Who is brave enough to speak first, and who must decide whether they wish to listen?

I will say no more on the matter, lest I prove your point by excess.

But I hope you will not think less of me for preferring a storm to a calm whose price is silence.

With sincerity,
Julian

(Maja begins to type a reply. She stops. Deletes it. Starts again.)

(She does not send anything that night.)

The Courting Lives of an Ageing Tennis Player

The Courting Lives of an Ageing Tennis Player

“Tennis belongs to the individualistic past – a hero, or at most a pair of friends or lovers, against the world.” (Jacques Barzun)

£19.99
Shop now

How Audiobooks Drive Business Success

The office has been buzzing with productive energy. From marketing to editorial, we’ve seen staff coming together to move projects forward with great efficiency.

Our trademark agility was on display as the team navigated a particularly full workflow with good humour and high spirits. It’s inspiring to see everyone so invested in NOP’s mission and creative vision; and the launch of the recent audiobook, Confessions of an Ageing Tennis Player added fresh momentum to proceedings!

Confessions of an Ageing Tennis Player: the Audiobook

Confessions of an Ageing Tennis Player: the Audiobook

Confessions of an Ageing Tennis Player is now available as an Audiobook on Audible.

£10.00
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CONFIDENTIAL TEAM MEETING 15 DEC NOTES NOT FOR PUBLIC CONSUMPTIONDownload

THE HACKERMAN INCIDENT: UPDATE FROM SENIOR MANAGEMENT

Nick Owen Publishing (NOP)
Nottingham, UK

Date: 20 November 2025

Nick Owen Publishing Confirms Temporary Website Disruption Caused by Unauthorised Access is Now Over.

Nick Owen Publishing can confirm that, at approximately 08:10 on 20 November, the company’s website experienced an incident of unauthorised interference carried out by an individual styling himself online as “TRUTH4REFORM_88_HAXXOR.”

The intrusion briefly replaced the official NOP homepage with content that included inaccurate statements about the company, unsubstantiated claims concerning the book No Such Thing as an Englishman, and a number of remarks about the author’s poetry, delivery style and eyebrows.

While some of the comments were strikingly imaginative, they did not originate from anyone associated with NOP.

Key Facts

  • No customer data has been compromised.
    The attacker appears to have been primarily motivated by literary frustration rather than criminal intent.
  • The unauthorised content included a flaming-bin graphic, several Comic Sans headlines, and repeated warnings against purchasing NOP titles. These do not reflect the views of Nick Owen Publishing, our authors, or any known literary critics.
  • The incident appears to have been carried out using extremely rudimentary methods and may have involved guessing a password. We are investigating how “NOP2023!” was breached.

Statement from Nick Owen, Founder

“While today’s events are certainly unusual, we remain committed to championing thoughtful, imaginative writing. We are grateful to our readers for their patience and assure them that No Such Thing as an Englishmanremains entirely safe to read, despite suggestions to the contrary from this morning’s intruder.”

Next Steps

Nick Owen Publishing is working with external security consultants to reinforce all digital systems.
Normal website service has been resumed..
Book sales, author events, and all other operations remain unaffected.

We thank our readers, partners, and the wider literary community for their continued support and for their many messages enquiring whether Nick is indeed “doing spells with his eyeballs.” We can confirm he is not.

Press Contact

Eleanor Wheeler
Senior Editor & Communications Lead
Nick Owen Publishing
Email: info@nickowenpublishing.co.uk
Phone: +44 (0)1522 687819

There’s No Such Thing as an Englishman

There’s No Such Thing as an Englishman

There’s No Such Thing as an Englishman is an anthology of poetry from an irritated England and marks the many sources of irritation faced by the average Englishman or woman these days – everything from the railways to referenda via what ever it is the young call music these days.

It was launched on 31 January 2020 – the day when the UK left the European Union and when the phenomenon known as Brexit finally, we liked to think, finally evaporated and all those years of frustration, anger, sheer disbelief and irritation all come to rest. But as Chairman Mao once said about what he thought the effects of the French Revolution were, it was way too soon to tell.

But its two authors – Nick Owen and Janice Owen – have become accomplished at becoming irritated at many facets of life in England over the years and hope that you, dear reader, will find some solace in knowing that you are not alone when it comes to feeling frustrated, pissed off, angry or just good old fashioned irritated.

Being English though, means we’ve just reached a level of irritation and aren’t quite ready to riot. Yet.

£5.99
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CONFIDENTIAL MINUTES DO NOT OPEN OR DOWNLOADDownload

Lamenting the Lost Opportunities of the Lost Booker Prize

Team Meeting Minutes — Discussion of “The Lamentation Series”

Date: Tuesday, 11 November 2025

Location: NOP Meeting Room (“Centre Court”)

Chair: Nick Owen

Minute-taker: Clare Thompson

1. Purpose of Meeting

To review Paul Warren’s new artwork series, “The Lamentation Series,” recently exhibited internally in response to our failure to win the Booker Prize. To explore its creative, thematic and commercial implications for our visual identity.

2. Presentation

Paul Warren (Illustrator) presented “The Lamentation Series (6a): Being So Happy Wot Keeps Together” — a composite image depicting the NOP staff team in stylised, elongated form wearing Confessions of an Ageing Tennis Player shirts, set against abstract human movement studies.

Paul described the piece as “an emotional group portrait of denial and devotion” and “a study in team dynamics at the edge of collapse.”

3. Summary of Reactions

Nick Owen (Publisher): Praised the piece for its “vulnerability and cohesion.” Suggested it could anchor next year’s Christmas card, assuming snow is added.

Eleanor Wheeler (Senior Editor): Admired its technical delicacy but requested ‘the possibility of less leg.’ Observed that the work captures ‘the company’s moral exhaustion with unusual accuracy.’

Julian Pilkington‑Sterne (Marketing Executive): Proposed launching a social campaign around it — ‘Lamentation: The Movement.’ Claimed it embodies both failure and bounce‑back energy. Eleanor asked him to stop using the phrase ‘bounce‑back energy.’

Alex Moore (Operations Manager): Expressed concern about ‘copyrighting the sadness.’ Suggested a feasibility study before printing it on mugs.

Clare Thompson (Reception): Noted that the image ‘looks exactly how the office feels on a Friday.’ Suggested a small caption series to accompany the artworks, titled ‘Reception Reflections: The Visual Edition.’

Maja Jović (Intern): Remarked that the figures ‘appear slightly too happy for lamentation,’ later clarifying this was meant as praise.

4. Discussion Points

– Whether The Lamentation Series represents a corporate or personal project.
– Potential for an internal exhibition in the NOP foyer (Paul proposed calling it ‘The Wall of Regret’; Nick countered with ‘Art at Work’).
– Eleanor questioned whether ‘regret’ is marketable; Julian said ‘everything is, if you find the right font.’
– Clare suggested pairing each artwork with a short company haiku.

5. Any Other Business

– Julian proposed a ‘behind‑the‑scenes’ video for social media. Eleanor said, ‘Absolutely not.’
– Paul requested biscuits for future creative presentations. Approved unanimously.
– Clare noted that the kettle finally stopped leaking. Meeting ended in spontaneous applause.


Meeting closed: 12:47 p.m.
Next Meeting: 26 November 2025 — Subject: ‘NOP: Beyond Lamentation